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Email: [email protected] Website: www.wanaturalists.org.au
MAY 2015
MISSION: To encourage the study and protection of the natural environment
CONTENTS
COUNCIL CORNER
A WORD FROM OUR NEW PRESIDENT
MEETING REPORT: BIG CATS IN AUSTRALIA—FACT VS
FOLKLORE
MEETING REPORT: SUPPORTING COMMUNITY
BUSHLAND MANAGEMENT
MEETING REPORT: NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY &
CAMOUFLAGE
MEETING REPORT: MULGA WOODLANDS
EXCURSION REPORT HERDSMAN LAKE
EXCURSION REPORT: NOCTURNAL WOYLIE WALK,
WHITEMAN PARK
EXCURSION REPORT: WELLARD WETLANDS
EXCURSION REPORT: NIGHT STALK AT STAR SWAMP
BUSHLAND
COMING EVENTS
INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTRIBUTORS
NEW MEMBERS
COUNCIL CORNER
A WORD FROM OUR NEW PRESIDENT
As a wildlife-obsessed six-year-old, the highlight of my year was the legendary Wildlife Show at the Perth Town Hall. When I was nine, my parents spotted a membership form and I joined the Club. I have fond memories of Junior Naturalists' camps, then adventurous Intermediate Naturalists' trips and fascinating meetings which we organised and ran ourselves (or at least, Kate Creed and Lionel Hemsley allowed us to believe that we did!)
The Naturalists' Club is a wonderful mix of enthusiastic, recreational and professional naturalists. The knowledge that I gained while growing up through the Club has helped enormously in my career as a Zoologist and Science Communicator.
Since I have joined Council, I have seen that same enthusiasm and knowledge amongst the members. We have an active and supportive Council, efficient office manager, enthusiastic volunteers and keen members. Our Club has a bright future.
The Council and our existing patron Adjunct Professor Barbara York Main are excited that Professor Lyn Beazley has agreed to become joint patron with Barbara. We look forward to welcoming Lyn to the role; she will be formally inducted at the May meeting.
I am looking forward to meeting many of you at coming events at each of the branches; getting to know new members and reconnecting with those from the old days. See you soon, and thank you for having me!
Mandy Bamford* (President) *nee Silberstein - for those members old enough to remember the
seventies
PUBLISHED FOR NATURALISTS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN NATURALISTS’ CLUB INC
FOUNDED 1924
ABN 97 932 293 116
POSTAL ADDRESS PO BOX 8257, PERTH BUSINESS CENTRE, WA, 6849
PHONE: (08) 9228 2495
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DARLING RANGE BRANCH MEETING REPORT: BIG CATS IN AUSTRALIA—FACT VS FOLKLORE
Mike Griffiths, a long standing member of the DRB Naturalists and former branch President, presented a talk entitled Big cats in Australia—facts versus folklore. Mike has had a long-term interest in big cat sightings that dates back to childhood. One of these early reports was from a childhood friend, relating to a sighting in the South West.
The talk presented information on the scientific facts concerning all the large members of the cat family worldwide, interspersed with many reported sightings of cat-like animals. These reports were predominantly from WA newspapers dating from the late 1950s through to 2004, though the latter was a report from the eastern states. A common theme from several of these reported sightings describe the unknown cats as black and ‘leopard-like’ or ‘panther-like’ in form (see sketch below by witness Frank Pool, who saw a big black cat south-east of Perth in the Darling Range). We were reminded that although witnesses often convey impassioned, heartfelt and convincing stories, confirmation can only be made from facts and actual evidence. We were informed that there is a group of interested researchers whose members will actively collect information and follow up on reported sightings.
As a naturalist, Mike has made an objective study of the most likely contenders that could be living in the wild and mounting attacks on farm stock within Australia. Of these, the most likely is the feral cat (Felis catus). Feral cats can grow very large; one carcass weighed 17 kg with an unsubstantiated report of one at 23 kg. Feral cats are known to develop cunning behaviour, are commonly tabby patterned and have relatively thin tails.
Other contenders for Australian ‘big cat’ sightings include various wild cat members from around the world including the Puma (Puma concolor), also known as a Cougar or a Mountain Lion, which is found through from South to North America. This solitary animal may be light brown, dark grey or red-brown but has never been proved to exist as a black animal; it has a smallish head and a proportionately long, thick tail. The Leopard or Panther (Panthera pardus), widespread through Africa, India and eastern Asia is either spotted or black—but also has a very long tail typically with a curl. The Jaguar (Panthera onca) can also occur with a distinctively spotted but also black coat and is native to South and Central America. All these examples are larger and weigh considerably more than the feral cat. We were shown the typical tracks of these cat family members; these were contrasted with some members of the dog family.
The sole example of a large cat-like predatory animal native to Australia was the so-called Marsupial Lion (Thylacolea carnifex) that became extinct within the last few thousand years.
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It is not well known that there have been many documented cases of exotic big cats on the loose in Australia, mostly in the eastern states and the majority from many years ago; these included pumas, lions, tigers and leopards. Of these, most were known to have escaped from circuses, zoos and wildlife parks. There is also considerable talk around Australia about big cats being kept as military mascots that have been turned loose by e.g. American servicemen at the end of their WWII deployment. But this would have been illegal even then and—as would be expected—evidence of this is hard to find. In 1985 a lion was reported near Broken Hill in outback NSW and later shot dead. It is still not known where this lion came from.
Mike mentioned a number of sightings of very large black cats and brown cats in WA, pointing out that sightings cannot be considered evidence but some sightings should perhaps be looked at with view to being investigated for evidence rather than being dismissed out of hand as often happens, especially when witnesses express fear at the size of the cats, report seeing cats leap gracefully over fences or they use landscape features or their own large dogs (positioned and tied to the spot where the cat was seen) to confirm the size of the cats. At the same time, many people under-estimate the size of some large feral cats and aren’t necessarily accurate in their observations and interpretations. It’s important to consider each reported sighting on its own merits. A report from the audience confirmed a local feral cat eating the feet of domestic fowls.
‘Evidence’ usually means body evidence to many people but Mike pointed out that there has been some possible ‘soft’ evidence in WA of exotic big cats including some large feline-looking footprints that stand up to proper analysis, unusual kills of kangaroos—in some instances decapitated, heavy vertical scratch marks on a tree trunk almost a metre long, sheep with broken necks and in some cases dragged away from their kill spots and freshly-killed emus that have been partially plucked, in remote bush areas. Often this potential evidence is poorly documented or not documented at all due to a lack of experience on the part of the observers.
When it comes to hard evidence, Mike reminded us of the Lion shot dead near Broken Hill, identification of Leopard DNA on a freshly-killed sheep in Victoria in the 1990s and—in an example of apparent body evidence—a Puma shot in the 1970s on a farm in Victoria with hide and skull preserved. These cases are typically overlooked when officials state that ‘there is no evidence of exotic big cats in Australia’. However this is still not evidence of breeding populations. It is always important to remember that feral cats can easily be misidentified in the bush, even by good naturalists and experienced hunters, and that they can grow to enormous sizes.
Mike’s best and most practical advice is always to go out into the bush with a camera, take multiple photos with scale objects of any unusual findings and record as much information as possible, as soon as possible, after any encounters with unusual wildlife. It is also important to listen respectfully when someone reports seeing usual animals—ask the appropriate questions and remember that laughter is likely to end any serious discussion. Who knows what the conversation could lead to!
Susan Stocklmayer & Mike Griffiths
NORTHERN SUBURBS BRANCH MEETING REPORT: SUPPORTING COMMUNITY BUSHLAND MANAGEMENT
Julia Cullity, the Community Bushland Coordinator for the Dept. of Parks & Wildlife (DPaW) and the editor of DPaW’s Bushland News, covered a wide range of topics in her talk to 24 members and guests in March.
Starting with Biodiversity Hotspots, she informed us that the South West has approximately 5500 plant species with about 3000 of them being endemic. Perth has 1500 plant species and is also the capital city with one of the largest known number of reptiles (71 at present) in the world.
Nevertheless it is likely that new flora and fauna—particularly invertebrates—will continue to be found, as demonstrated in the last few years by the discovery of the Megamouth Bee (Leioproctus muelleri) at Forrestdale in 2011 (by Club members Terry Houston and Otto Mueller) and new species of millipede (Antichiropus sp. nov.) at Hepburn Heights in 2013 and more recently at Salter Point.
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To demonstrate the practical nature of her community relations role with volunteers, Julia chose two areas: the Wandi Nature Reserve, south of the river and Mirrabooka Bushland, north of the river.
At Wandi NR a GPS allowed her to map invasive weeds such as perennial veldt grass and the South African Pigface (Carpobrutus edulis). These maps could then be used by volunteers when removing the weeds. One of the benefits of weed removal has been the increased interest in the area, resulting in follow-up surveys which recorded an increase in the number (of individuals and separate populations) of the critically endangered Grand Spider Orchid (Caladenia huegelii) (below left: Wandi Nature Reserve, Julia Cullity).
The members of the Friends of Mirrabooka Bushland and Julia surveyed Mirrabooka Bushland in 2011 for the Graceful Sun Moth (Synemon gratiosa) and recorded the highest population for Banksia Woodland. However their interest later turned to larger fauna. To capture a record of the vertebrates, Julia ran a pilot camera trap survey followed by a much longer survey. It was notable that whilst wallabies were seen in the pilot survey, kangaroos were only recorded in the later survey—suggesting the longer you look the more you will find. The cameras also take moving images and we were shown footage of feral cats and a fox (below, at Mirrabooka bushland, Julia Cullity).
Julia wrapped up her presentation by referring members to some of the free material on the DPaW website: FloraBase; Weed Management Notes including up-to-date methods of weed control, particularly important as new chemicals are introduced; NatureMap which can be used to produce maps, lists and reports of WA’s flora and fauna for any geo-referenced area; and the publication Bushland News which in future will only be available digitally (but will still be free).
Don Poynton
KWINANA/ROCKINGHAM/MANDURAH BRANCH MEETING REPORT: NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY & CAMOUFLAGE
At the March meeting there were two presentations. Firstly KRMB founding member Bob Goodale gave a talk that detailed the developments in nature photography equipment from the early 20th century to the present. The second presenter was Dr Norm Pinsky, who delivered a presentation on camouflage in nature.
In delivering his presentation, Bob also told us much about his own life as an avid photographer and nature documentary filmmaker. Rather than just talk about cameras, Bob brought along a substantial part of his extensive collection of film, movie and digital cameras together with some accessories. Amongst the earliest cameras in his collection are two Kodak bellows cameras dating back to the early 20th century. One even still had the instruction booklet. He then showed a Box Brownie in its case and a small tripod. He also has a very heavy Miller tripod but did not bring it to the meeting. We saw accessories that most of us have used but forgotten about, such as the cube flash. Bob also had a film roller for loading 35 mm cassettes from a bulk 100-foot roll of film (to keep costs down).
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When 8 mm movie cameras (and then Super 8 mm) became available, Bob started to make wildlife films and was successful in winning several awards. He showed us a turret-lens movie camera with interchangeable lenses. Film had to be loaded using a light bag into which you put your arms through two lightproof holes. In the 1970s Bob bought a second-hand Pathé camera system from John Shaw, a senior cameraman with Film Australia. That served Bob well for a while, until he acquired an Éclair 16 mm movie camera—the classic documentary camera used by many of the top documentary makers. During this period Bob successfully made documentaries, such as one covering Shark Bay and Wilderness Regained, that were sold all over the world. At one time Bob had a team of 15 working for his production company and was contracted to local TV networks. Unfortunately the downfall of the network moguls, Messrs Bond and Skase, saw cuts in budgets that forced his company to fold.
The talk then moved on to 35 mm still cameras, with Bob’s favourite Nikon F2 on display. On these cameras he would use a mirror telephoto lens that was very compact due to its unique optics. Bob contrasted its size to that of his current 600 mm lens—we all knew which one we would rather carry on a walk through the bush! He also had macro equipment, including a bellows for very precise focusing on small insects or flowers. He talked about how most images were shot on slide films, with the best made into prints using the Cibachrome process.
With the advent of the digital era, Bob has progressed through many point-and-shoot digitals and his current ‘carry everywhere’ camera is the Nikon Coolpix S4. His first digital SLR was the Canon EOS 50D and an 18 – 200 mm lens, both of which produced excellent image quality but eventually both failed mechanically. Bob’s current set up is a top of the range Canon EOS 5D MkIII, with several high quality lenses including the 600 mm F4 and the 70 – 200mm F2.8.
Bob then showed us some of the fun items he has acquired, such as a camera in a pen plus the film cartridge from a Minox spy camera. He also has a few camera traps—motion-sensitive cameras that can be left unattended in a location to capture images of wildlife that passes by. Bob uses these on Goodale Sanctuary to monitor what species are present. He also has a camera on a fibre-optic probe that can be used to photograph inside hollows or burrows, complete with a screen to that displays the live view. His latest acquisition is a quad-copter drone with a small action camera. This can be flown remotely and take photographs over areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. He then mentioned how the mobile phone has made almost everyone a photographer. The audience was invited to take a closer look at the items on display.
The second presentation, by Norm Pinsky on camouflage, came about because Norm is fascinated by the way that many species have evolved to mimic their surrounding environment, in order to protect themselves from predation. He presented a series of photographs that showed various insects that are very hard to spot
amongst their surroundings. These included a moth that looked like the bark of a tree, three moths found in Baldivis that had the same colour, texture and patterns as dried gum leaves and two types of moth from PNG that looked like leaves. Another moth resembled lichen, while another appeared to be a folded leaf, though its wings are flat—the optical illusion is a result of the colour and texture of its wings. Norm then moved on to grasshoppers where there are species that are leaf mimics (left and next page) and others that are wood mimics. A grasshopper Gum Leaf Mimic grasshopper, Norm Pinsky
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photographed on a leaf in PNG was very hard to spot. In other photos of grasshoppers, Norm had to point many out to the audience, so good was their camouflage. Some use alignment with twigs or stems to appear invisible. Spiders also use camouflage: one species had the same appearance as the buds of the flower on which it was patiently waiting for prey to come into range, while another aligns itself with egg sacs and another looks like the bark of a tree.
Stick-insects are masters of camouflage and very hard to spot amongst thin twigs. Other insects use unusual patterns, such as a butterfly with a false head and beetles that look like pieces of rock. A katydid in PNG, a chameleon from Africa plus a moth that was almost invisible rounded off the very interesting and informative presentation. It left us all with one thought: how did Norm spot the subjects in the field to capture the photos?
Colin Prickett
RETIRED & LEISURED GROUP MEETING REPORT: MULGA WOODLANDS
Dr Gerald Page of UWA’s Plant Biology Dept. informed us that mulga woodland covers 20 per cent of the Australian landscape, with its biggest representation in WA. Mulga grows across a wide variety of landscapes and on various substrates, which is illustrated by its occurrence in the Pilbara.
In the arid interior, mulga needs both summer and winter rainfall. Water availability defines the mulga woodland, which may be in a uniform patch structure or a banded structure; within the mulga grove the structure is variable.
Originally there were 10 varieties of Acacia in the mulga species group, a major one being Acacia aneura. In 2012 Bruce Maslin divided the latter in seven separate species.
Plants within a mulga species complex look similar but there is variation and they are in fact renowned for
Leaf Mimic grasshopper, Norm Pinsky
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diversity within and amongst species, from the tall ‘Christmas tree’ type to a multi-stemmed shrub. Diversity in mulga is due to genetic differences and to the fact that they hybridise. They may have single stems or divided stems—the latter produces a larger crown.
Mulga phyllodes (a flattened stalk adapted to function like a leaf) may be needle-like or wider, due to differences in drainage. The drought stress experienced may be extreme but the mulga’s drought tolerance is variable. These plants are slow-growing and can live for hundreds of years. Not all mulgas flower at the same time and they can produce seed without pollination; generally a mulga takes 15 years to set seed.
The root systems of mulgas are relatively shallow, which means that they are vulnerable to fire (which can kill the roots) and also to rabbit infestation.
Trapdoor spiders of the open woodlands surround their homes with fans of mulga phyllodes and as a result the spread of the ensuing generations can be seen on the ground.
Termites are important ecosystem engineers in mulga communities, where they increase water infiltration and nutrient release. Like mulga, termites are very diverse, with some feeding on wood and others on grasses. We also learned that ant nests use mulga phyllodes and that there are three species of ‘mulga ant’.
Gerald illustrated his talk very well and his delivery and friendly approach impressed the group.
Margot Bentley
DARLING RANGE BRANCH EXCURSION REPORT HERDSMAN LAKE
It was lovely weather for the visit to the Herdsman Lake Wildlife Centre, where we assembled inside at 4.30 pm. After a brief address by Eric, who gave the history of the lake, the group ventured onto the veranda facing the lake. A female Magpie was feeding on the lawn between the building and the lake and an active Willy Wagtail darted across the grass capturing small insects. A large deposit of bird excreta on the cement floor near the wall drew our attention to the mud nest of a Welcome Swallow, up under the roof—evidence of a successful breeding year.
On the water in front of the Centre were Australasian Coots, Pacific Black Ducks, a pair of Blue-billed Ducks (with stiff erect tails), many Grey Teal and several Hardheads. About 20 m to the west, in a reed-strewn shallow area, we were surprised to see quite a few Black-winged Stilts preening amongst resting Grey Teal.
On the Olive Seymour Boardwalk to the east of the Centre the group was extremely pleased to see a group of about a dozen Freckled Ducks.
These were resting on and near a buoy about 15 m north of the walkway. To our delight, two Great Egrets also flew towards us, one landing on the buoy and the other in a paperbark tree. Several Little Cormorants flew across the reeds in front of us.
Freckled Ducks & Great Egret, T Marwood
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Further along the wooden boardwalk we observed the allelopathic effect of the paperbarks. As far as we could see, not one other plant was growing amongst these trees. Strange to think that, 30 years ago, this was an area of Bulrush and Twig Rush with only about 38 paperbarks. It is in the upper foliage or crown of the Paperbarks that the Nankeen Night Herons rest during the day.
Near the end of the walkway we saw a pair of Dusky Moorhens feeding in the shallows, several White Ibis and a few Purple Swamphens. In this area members of the group also heard a Rufous Whistler, a Western Gerygone, several Rainbow Lorikeets, a Grey Butcherbird and some Corellas.
Back at the Centre, Kevn Griffiths walked us past the exhibits, aquariums and terrariums, discussing the frogs, fish and reptiles within.
Eric McCrum OAM
NORTHERN SUBURBS BRANCH EXCURSION REPORT: NOCTURNAL WOYLIE WALK, WHITEMAN PARK
It was great to see members taking up the offer to bring their children and grandchildren to the Nocturnal Woylie Walk at Whiteman Park on Friday 27 March, on what turned out to be a beautiful evening after the forecast of rainstorms earlier in the week.
After we booked the guided tour last year, a bushfire burnt through about three quarters of the 200 hectare Woodland Reserve in late December. However, the reconstructed paths allowed us to walk over much of the burnt area as well as the saved bushland. Unfortunately, the board walk and wetland area, which are still undergoing restoration, were not accessible.
The Woodland Reserve offers a protected habitat for a highly successful captive breeding program for rare and endangered WA fauna. We learnt this program is specifically aimed at ensuring genetic viability. It is
Eric explains the allelopathic effect, T Marwood
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particularly, but not exclusively, aimed at the Woylie or Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia pencillata) of which only an estimated 2000 exist in the wild. Predation by foxes and cats is thought to be a major cause of the decline in their numbers (along with disease factors).
Fortunately the breeding program at Whiteman Park has been very successful, as we were able to confirm during our walk through the Soft Release Enclosure. Although Woylies are considered herbivores and usually feed on underground fungi, bulbs and seeds we found that unshelled peanuts have become a favourite food in captivity.
During our walk, the children (plus a few adults) learnt to distinguish between Quendas and Woylies by their gait. Woylies hop at speed while Quendas run on all-fours. We also got to see Sugar Gliders close up—these ones being Tasmanian imports.
A bonus was the sighting of the International Space Station for several minutes as it sped across the clear sky; a first for many of our members.
Don Poynton
KWINANA – ROCKINGHAM – MANDURAH BRANCH EXCURSION REPORT: WELLARD WETLANDS
Our second field trip for the year was to Wellard Wetlands, created by Alcoa after extraction of clay for use in the residue storage areas at the Kwinana Alumina Refinery. A very good turnout of 12 members enjoyed the beautiful autumn morning’s walk around the numerous lakes. As expected at this time of the year, when many of the ephemeral wetlands have dried up, there were many water birds on the lakes. The lakes still had good water levels, though a few mud banks were exposed and were being used by waders, including a solitary Grey-tailed Tattler. There was a total of 42 species sighted, as listed in the table below. Many of these species were well represented in terms of numbers, with large flocks of Grey Teal, Little Black Cormorants, White Ibis, Pelicans, Black Swans, Musk Ducks and Pacific Black Ducks. A flock of 11 Red-necked Avocets was seen amongst some Black-winged Stilts. We spotted a number of carcasses of Pelicans, White Ibis and a Black Swan—though it was not apparent how they had died. A large number of Whistling Kites (at least 10) was seen feeding on a Pelican carcass. One Tiger Snake was spotted during the walk. Bob Goodale spotted a Bandicoot near the Spoonbill bird-hide. Yellow-billed Spoonbill, C Prickett
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While many of us were watching out for birds, others were interested in finding invertebrates—sometimes with unexpected outcomes. Whilst looking under some loose bark on a tree, Otto Mueller was surprised when a Motorbike Frog jumped out; in a similar situation Chris Punter disturbed a roosting bat that flew off. Invertebrates we spotted included Dragonflies, a Banded Bee-fly (Villa), a scorpion, Golden Orb Weaver Spiders and a Gum Tree Grasshopper nymph. Daniel Heald has provided the following details of invertebrates he identified. There were Ant-lions; Mud-dauber Wasps under the seat of the loo; Tachysphex Crabronid wasp; Callibracon White-flanked Longicorn Parasitoid; Iridomyrmex Rainbow Ants; Myrmecia Bull-ants; he saw at least two other species of ants. A nice sighting was Macrodiplax cora, known as Wandering Pennant—a gorgeous, highly migratory red and black dragonfly tolerant of brackish lagoons. There were also Xanthagrion erythroneurum (Red and Blue Damsel Fly); Orthetrum caledonicum, the Blue Skimmer Dragonfly and at least one other species of dragonfly.
Spiders seen included a Tetragnathid Long-jawed Orbweaver, a Cymbacha Crab Spider folding her refuge, an Argyrodes sp. Teardrop Spider stealing midges from an Eriophora's web, and an unusual horizontal orb-web, with complicated stabilimentum, among the leaf litter. We are still hoping to identify that one. Sightings also included Depressa sp. Lauxaniid fly—unusual beetle-like flies that hold the wings curved over the body like a beetle's elytra; yellow midges with black spots; grey midges of various sizes in abundance; at least one species of Villa Bee-fly; Goniaea Gumleaf Mimic Grasshopper nymphs, both grey and orange forms; Acrida conica or Green Slantface; Helea Piedish Beetle; Parosisterna beata Leaf Beetle; Flea Beetle—Chrysomelidae again, tribe Alticini; and a third unidentified Leaf Beetle that was walking backwards in circles on a vertical tree trunk. Hyocephalid True Bug nymphs were found under a log.
Weeds in the park included Blowfly Grass and Lesser Quaking Grass Briza maxima and minor, but both of those are pretty much ubiquitous now.
Crab Spider, Daniel Heald
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The Bird List is below:
Eurasian Coot Rufous Whistler Black Swan
Australasian Darter Grey Fantail Little Pied Cormorant
Musk Duck Willie Wagtail Little Black Cormorant
Hoary-headed Grebe Black-winged Stilt Eastern Great Egret
Australian Raven Red-necked Avocet Splendid Fairy-wren
Straw-necked Ibis Inland Thornbill Grey Teal
Pacific Black Duck Western Gerygone Hardhead
White-faced Heron Red Wattlebird Purple Swamphen
Little Egret Brown Honeyeater Australian Shelduck
Australian Ringneck Swamp Harrier Black-fronted Dotterel
Australian Pelican Silvereye Grey-tailed Tattler
Australian White Ibis Laughing Kookaburra Grey Butcherbird
Whistling Kite Australian Magpie Red-capped Parrot
Yellow-billed Spoonbill Australasian Grebe White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Colin Prickett
YOUNG NATURALISTS EXCURSION REPORT: NIGHT STALK AT STAR SWAMP BUSHLAND
A small group of junior naturalists met at the Henderson Centre on 14th February and ventured out into the bushland with torches and a spotlight.
The big Tuart trees (E. gomphocephala) loomed above us against the night sky. They have plenty of hollow branches that can make homes for parrots and cockatoos, owls, bats, possums and other animals. We looked in the leaf-
Eager young naturalists examine a grass tree, Pam Ghirardi
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litter and found the little seed capsules and ice-cream-shaped flower-buds from the Tuart trees. We looked at Banksia cones and saw the follicles from which the seeds had fallen. Zamias and Grass-trees were also in the bushland. In the sky we could see the planet Jupiter, and the constellation of Orion, also known as ‘The Saucepan’.
Perched on a branch above the path was a Tawny Frogmouth. We saw two or three others during the walk, demonstrating that there must be plenty of food for them in this area—spiders, insects, frogs and small mammals.
Using our head-torches (or torches held at the side of the head) we found tiny sparkles of light on the ground that turned out to be Wolf Spiders; their eyes reflect the light. These spiders live in burrows and hunt their prey on the ground. There were many of these, and several different species. We also saw a large orb-weaver spider in its web, waiting for a meal to come along.
There was plenty to interest us on the short walk, and we talked about it afterwards during supper. Mike Gregson
COMING EVENTS Visitors are welcome at any meetings or excursions
FRIDAY 1 MAY With the MAIN CLUB: GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Journey to remote Papua New Guinea Speaker: Norm Pinsky Venue: Hew Roberts Lecture Theatre, UWA, Clifton St, Nedlands. Time: 7.30 pm Details: Door fee $3 includes raffle ticket, tea/coffee and biscuits after. Contact: John Gardner: 9389 8289
WEDNESDAY 6 MAY With the RETIRED & LEISURED GROUP: GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Insect mimicry Speaker: David Knowles of ‘Spineless Wonders’ Venue: Naturalists’ Club Library, 1st Floor, 82 Beaufort St, Perth. Time: 10.00 am – 12.30 pm Cost: $2 per person (includes morning tea) Contact: Margot Bentley 9386 1974; RSVPs required, thanks.
FRIDAY 8 MAY With the DARLING RANGE BRANCH: GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Western Australia’s reptiles Speaker: Gane Doyle of WA Reptile Park, Henley Brook Venue: CWA Hall, Central Rd, Kalamunda Time: 7.30 pm Details: $3 door fee covers venue and supper; bring items of interest for the table Contact: Diana Papenfus: 9293 1676 or [email protected]
MONDAY 18 MAY With KWINANA/ROCKINGHAM/MANDURAH BRANCH: GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Members’ night Speaker: Pauline Dilley: Africa Venue: Gary Holland Centre, Kent Street, Rockingham Time: 7.00 pm Cost: Note there will be a charge of $3.50 per person to cover hire of the venue Contact: 9524 2290 for further details
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WEDNESDAY 20 MAY With the NORTHERN SUBURBS BRANCH: GENERAL MEETING
Topic: Explorations in the Kimberley Speaker: Dr Adam Cross (well known botanist with BPGA / Kings Park) Venue: Henderson Environmental Centre, Groat St (off North Beach Rd; at end of street) Time: 7.30 pm Details: All visitors welcome, gold coin donation. Contact: Lutz Elber: [email protected]
SUNDAY 10 MAY
PICKERING BROOK—with the BUSHWALKING GROUP
Location: Forest near Pickering Brook
Time: 9.30 for 10.00 am start
Meet: At the end of Bracken Rd in Pickering Brook. Turn right at the T-junction at the end of the
road and park at the roadside. [UBD map 316, A12]
Details: The walk is in open bushland, flat most of the way with a couple of gentle hills, about 11 km
long. Visitors always welcome. Please visit the www.wanaturalists.org.au/branches-
groups/bush-walking/ for more details. Will be led by Lutz Elber.
Contact: Lutz Elber: [email protected]
SATURDAY 16 MAY
CAMERA TRAPPING EXCURSION—with the MAIN CLUB
Location: Paruna Sanctuary or Avon Valley NP (location to be confirmed and posted on website)
Time: 10.00 am (for 10.15 start).
Meet: Main car park (detailed instructions to be supplied)
Cost: $5 per person (Paruna) or $11 per vehicle if Avon Valley NP.
Activities: Inspect set-up and location sensor cameras (camera traps) and discuss practical aspects with
view to particular species of wildlife and conditions. Cameras will be set up prior to the
excursion and checked immediately afterward, if possible while participants are still present.
As with any bush excursion, any incidental birds and other wildlife, wildflowers, fungi etc will
also be a part of the excursion however the focus will be on practical aspects of using sensor
cameras. This excursion has been designed to complement the Camera Trap Workshop run at
Herdsman Lake on March 14, but may be of value to anyone using sensor cameras in
bushland.
Bring: Appropriate clothing and study footwear for bushwalking, morning tea and lunch. Your own
sensor camera is not necessary unless you have specific questions.
Contact: Tanya Marwood 0412 196 216 or Mike Griffiths 0428 530 989
SUNDAY 24 MAY WA REPTILE PARK—with the DARLING RANGE BRANCH
Location: WA Reptile Park, 92 Henley St, Henley Brook (off West Swan Rd) Time: 11.30 am Meet: In the car park at the front Activities: A comprehensive tour of the Doyle’s park, which apart from many reptiles has dingoes and
other Australian fauna.
CLUB EXCURSIONS
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Bring: Picnic lunch Contact: Diana Papenfus: 9293 1676 or [email protected] or Kevn Griffiths 9255 1965
SUNDAY 24 MAY PERTH ZOO—with KWINANA/ROCKINGHAM/MANDURAH BRANCH
Location: Perth Zoo Time: 10.00 am Meet: Main entrance Contact: 9524 2290 for further information
SUNDAY 24 MAY BOLD PARK—with the BUSHWALKING GROUP
Location: Bold Park
Time: 9.30 for 10.00 am start
Meet: Ecology Centre, off Perry Lakes Drv [UBD map 266, K7]
Details: An easy walk of about 7 km on good tracks but with a few hills; lunch at the central lookout.
Will be led by Lutz Elber and Val Goff. Visitors always welcome. Please visit the
www.wanaturalists.org.au/branches-groups/bush-walking/ for more details.
Contact: Lutz Elber: [email protected]
WEDNESDAY 27 MAY GOLLY WALK: RECAPTURED CLAISE BROOK WETLANDS—with NORTHERN SUBURBS BRANCH
Location: North Perth
Time: 10.00 am
Meet: Smith’s Lake Reserve, Kayle St, North Perth
Activities: Discover and explore several of the remnant and recaptured wetlands of the Claise Brook
catchment that once covered a large area north of the CBD. Will be led by members of Claise
Brook Catchment Group; easy walking on grass and footpaths; may involve one short drive.
Contact: Don 0419 460 301
SAT 30 MAY TO MON 1 JUNE 2015 HI VALLEE FARM—LONG WEEKEND EXCURSION
Hi Vallee Farm is around 200 km north of Perth located along Tootbardi Rd in Badgingarra. The farm’s bushland contains some of the greatest botanical diversity in the world. During the excursion we hope to see some of the early flowering flora and fungi. This is a self-catering camping trip with supply of water, some power, basic toilets and a cold or hot shower available on site. There are plenty of things to do such as bush walking, bird watching, star gazing/night stalks, etc. Mount Lesueur National Park and Jurien Bay are at driving distance. The trip is for junior naturalists as well as adults. Participants should register at the Club office before 22 May and leave name, number of adults/juniors, expected date of arrival (Fri or Sat) plus telephone and email details. Camping costs are $10 per person per night; guided bush tour (4 hrs) costs are approximately $20 per adult and $5 per junior. For more information contact Jolanda Keeble on 0439 978 550
KALBARRI LONG RANGE EXCURSION: 18 – 23 SEPTEMBER, 2015
This camp will be held on the banks of the Murchison River at Murchison House Station 14 km out of Kalbarri. For those not wishing to camp accommodation is available in the stone shearers’ quarters. There is a bus service to Kalbarri three times a week and we can transport anyone travelling by bus.
We plan to have three full day activities, two half day activities and a free day in the middle.
Activities will include paddling the gorges, walking the bluffs, walking the loop at Nature’s Window. There will be both energetic and more relaxed options and heaps of opportunities for ‘wildflowering’.
Those coming please advise Diana in the office and contact Glynne for further information. Glynne Beaver: 9295 5057 or [email protected]
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LOVE YOUR CLUB?
Support your love of natural history and your Club with a donation this year.
Go to http://www.wanaturalists.org.au/get-involved/donating-to-the-club/ for details. Payment is by EFT, cheque or money order.
NEW MEMBERS
Ben Sharp of East Perth—Main Branch
Christopher Lesiter of Gosnells—Main Branch
Rebecca Boyland of East Victoria Park—Main Branch
We welcome these new members to our club.
ADVERTISING IN THE NEWSLETTER
In order to offset some of the costs of preparing the monthly newsletter we invite environmentally minded
companies to advertise in the Newsletter. Here is the opportunity to publicise your business to friends and
associates.
Costs are: Full page $200; Half page $100; Quarter page$50; Eighth page $30. Prices do not include GST.
Copy to be sent to Newsletter Editor, Naturalist News by email one week before the advertised closing date.
INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTRIBUTORS Please send all contributions by email in MS Word format to Tanya Marwood [email protected] and to
[email protected] by the nominated closing date.
Articles need to be a MAXIMUM OF 750 WORDS.
Photos to accompany articles are really appreciated; I prefer to receive these as a collection of separate files in e.g.
‘jpeg’ format, with information on who took it and a suggested caption.
Many thanks to those who send in contributions: Reports and accounts of Club activities help members appreciate
and enjoy the diversity of talks and excursions organized under the Naturalists’ Club umbrella. If you require help or
advice when planning or writing your piece, please contact the editor. Ideas, constructive comments and
suggestions from members are welcome.
The next issue of this newsletter will be June 2014.
Please send all contributions by email to [email protected] and to [email protected]
Deadline for next issue: Monday 4 May
(Earlier if possible please)
